Portable illumination device

ABSTRACT

A portable illumination device consisting of a substantially flat battery having a top and bottom surface and having a bulb receiving means provided substantially in the center of the battery in which the positive and negative terminals of the battery are disposed. The bulb receiving means comprises a socket which is disposed co-axially within, and may be a metal socket, or integrally formed in, the carbon electrode of the battery. The socket forms the positive terminal of the battery, while a zinc can surrounding the battery forms the negative electrode.

United States Patent 1 1111 3,732,414

Franc 1 May 8, 1973 [54] PORTABLE ILLUMINATION DEVICE FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS [76] Inventor: Charles Franc, Box 36-R Wading 362,546 101922 Germany ..240/10.61 River P.O., Long Island, NY. 500,682 11/1954Italy ..240/l0.6l

[22] Filed: 1971 Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi [21] Appl. No.:125,980 Att0meyAllison C. Collard [57] ABSTRACT 52 us. 01 ..240/10.6l,240/1068 [51] Int. Cl ..F21l 7/00 A portable Illumination dev'ceconslstmg of a Substan- [58] Field of Search ..240/10, 10.61, 10.65,battery l i a and f Surface 240/10 68, 136/121 125, 315/33 having a bulbrecewmg means prov1ded substant1ally in the center of the battery inwhich the positive and negative terminals of the battery are disposed.The

[56] References cued bulb receiving means comprises a socket which isUNITED STATES PATENTS disposed co-axially within, and may be a metalsocket,

or integrally formed 1n, the carbon electrode of the 1,310,763 7/1919Maranda ..240/l0.6l battery, The socket forms the positive terminal ofthe Boltshauser.... battery a inc can urrounding the battery 2,790,893 41957 Lane ..240/10.61 forms the negative electrode 2,879,381 3/1959Coffey ..240/l0.65 2,983,811 5/1961 OBrian ..240/10.61 3 Claims, 9Drawing Figures I" rill/W 22 31 20B 15 I6A 1s PATENTEUMY 81973 3.7324147 SHEEI 1 BF 3 INVENTOR. CHARLES FRANC ATTORNEY PATENTEU 81973 I3.732.414

sum 2 OF 3 1NVENT0R-. CHARLES FRANC ATTORNEY 'PATENTEDMY 81915 sum 3 0r3 F/G62g l 208 I5 1 A 18 INVENTOR- CHARLES FRANC WQM ATTORNEY v PORTABLEILLUMINATION DEVICE This invention relates to portable illuminationdevices, and in particular to a flat battery having a lamp socketintegrally formed therein for receiving and energizing a lamp andthereby providing illumination.

Previous portable illumination devices have utilized a dry cell batteryin combination with a separate light bulb socket, both disposed within acommon casing. This arrangement, while generally satisfactory for somepurposes, is subject to a number of objections and disadvantages whenutilized to provide illumination on gift packages and ornaments. Becausethese arrangements are aggregations of separate elements, they result inillumination devices of objectionable height due to the fact that thelight bulb socket and light bulb must be disposed on the top of thebattery which is usually cylindrical in shape.

In accordance with the present invention, this disadvantage iseliminated by providing a substantially flat battery with a bulbreceiving means disposed within the battery itself. This eliminates theneed for an external casing and enables such illumination devices to beutilized to illuminate gift packages, decorative ornaments or the like.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new and usefulportable illumination device which is adapted for use on gift packages,decorative ornaments and the like and whose structure is substantiallyreduced in height.

It is another object according to the present invention to provide anillumination device which is simple in design, inexpensive tomanufacture, and reliable in operation.

Other objects and features of the invention will become more readilyapparent with the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, thatthe drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and notas a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similarelements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portable illumination device madein accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1,partially broken away;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the invention showing the mannerin which it is applied to a gift package or ornament when in use;

FIG. 5 is a disassembled perspective view of the illumination deviceshown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a portableillumination device constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a top cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 6,partially broken away;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the lamp shown in the embodimentof FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 showing themanner in which it is applied to a gift package when in use.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a flat annular battery 10having a light bulb l l disposed in a socket 12 provided in the battery.Battery 10 may be any type of primary cell, such as the well-knownLeclanche dry cell, and consists of a solid zinc cylindrical shell 13having top surface 14 and bottom surface 15, also of zinc, which formtogether the negative electrode of the battery. The positive electrodeconsists of a carbon electrode rod 16 disposed within the cylindricalshell and insulated from the top zinc surface 14 by an insulating member17. Electrode 16 is imbedded in a depolarizing core 18 which consists,for example, of a black mixture of managanese dioxide and carbon black.A layer of electrolyte paste 19 is disposed between core 18 and zincelectrode 13, and commonly consists of a solution of ammonium chlorideand zinc chloride in water.

Lamp 11 is provided with base 20 which has a contact terminal 21disposed on its bottom surface. When bulb 11 is screwed all the way intosocket l2, terminal 21 will engage the bottom zinc surface 15 and thebulb will thus be energized. Metal socket I2 is disposed concentricallywith and extends entirely through the length of carbon rod 16. Socket 12is insulated from the top surface 14 by insulating member 17, aspreviously stated, and is insulated from the bottom zinc surface 15 by asecond insulating member 22. A circular aperture is provided ininsulating member 22 in the region of bulb contact 21 so as to exposethe zinc electrode and allow terminal 21 to contact the zinc when thebulb is screwed into socket 12. It should be noted that means other thansocket 12 may be used to receive the base of bulb 11, such as providingbulb threads for base 20 directly within carbon rod 16.

The battery is also provided with an expansion chamber 23, a plasticseal 24 and seal supporting washer '25. In fabricating such a battery,it is practical to further provide the battery with a coating of duplexmoisture-proof asphaltum board and an insulated metal shell,respectively, to provide a sealed casing for the dry cell. i

In FIG. 3, a portable illumination device, is shown applied to a giftpackage 124. Battery 10 is covered by a ribbon or flower 25 and issecured to package 24 by a layer of adhesive (not shown) on the bottomsurface of the battery.

FIG. 5 shows the portable illumination device of FIG. 3 in disassembledcondition. The base 20 of light bulb 11 extends through a snaplock 26provided at the center of flower or ribbon 25 and into bulb receivingmeans 12 provided in battery 10. Securement to package 24 is provided byadhesive layer 29 which is affixed to the bottom surface of battery 10.Alternatively, the portable illumination device may be used on adecorative ornament 27 as shown in FIG. 4. An outer cover 28 having anaperture through which lamp 11 extends, is disposed over the top portionof ornament 27 and conceals battery 10.

In FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are shown a second embodiment of the portableillumination device previously described. The battery 10 shown in FIG. 6is of the same type as that shown and described in FIGS. 1 and 2.However, the battery shown in FIG. 6 is of a rectangular shape, insteadof being annular. The battery is provided with an elongated shaped lamp11a having a base consisting of a rectangular collar 20a and a truncatedoval-shaped base 20b. The base is constructed from non-conductivematerial, such as plastic, or other suitable material. The bulb isprovided with external contact terminals 30 and 31 which extend downthrough the glass portion of the bulb and exit from the base at thebottom and at the side. Battery is provided with a rectangular-shapedcarbon electrode 16a disposed substantially within the center of thebattery. Electrode 16a is also provided with a truncated ovalshapedrecess adapted to slidably receive base 20b of bulb 11a. When the bulbis inserted into the recess, contact terminal 31 engages bottom zincsurface 15 of the battery and contact terminal 30 engages the side wallof the recess in electrode 16a. The bulb will thus be energized. Therecess of electrode 16a may be integrally formed with the electrode asshown in FIGS. 6 and 7, or the electrode may be fitted, for example,with a flat metal socket. The only requirement is that base 20b of bulb11a may be received slidably by the recess provided in carbon electrode16a.

FIG. 9 illustrates the use of the portable illumination device of FIG.6, as a decorative ornament on a gift package. As in the embodiments ofFIGS. 3 and 4, battery' 10 is disposed below the decorative ornament. Inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 9, clown face 32 is disposed over battery10 and lamp 11a serves as the nose of the clown face. The illuminationdevice is secured to package 33 in the same manner as the embodiments ofFIGS. 3 and 4, i.e., a layer of adhesive material affixed to the bottomportion of the battery.

While only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious that many changes and modificationsmay be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable illumination device, comprising:

a flat, dry cell battery having positive and negative electrodes, saidpositive electrode comprising an electrically conductive rod disposed inthe center of said battery and including a recess for receiving a lamp,and said negative electrode comprising an electrically conductivemetallic casing electrically insulated from said rod;

an electrically conductive, threaded lamp socket, disposed in saidrecess in said rod, and electrically insulated from said negativeelectrode, for receiving a lamp;

a lamp, disposed in said lamp socket;

a decorative ornament, having a centrally disposed aperture providedtherein;

an annular locking member, disposed in said aperture in said decorativeornament, for disposal over and engagement with said lamp, for securingsaid decorative ornament thereon so that said lamp extends through saidaperture in said ornament; and

adhesive means, disposed on the bottom surface of said battery, forsecuring said battery, lamp and decorative ornament on a gift package.

2. A portable illumination device, comprising:

a flat, dry cell battery having positive and negative electrodes, saidpositive electrode comprising a rectangular-shaped electricallyconductive rod disposed in the center of said battery having a truncatedoval-shaped recess, and said negative electrode comprising anelectrically conductive metallic casing electrically insulated from saidroda lamp, having a truncated oval-shaped base 0 dimensions smaller thansaid recess, slidably disposed in said recess in said rod;

a decorative ornament, having a centrally disposed aperture, fordisposal over said lamp;

an annular locking member, disposed in said aperture in said decorativeornament, for disposal over and engagement with said lamp, for securingsaid decorative ornament to said lamp; and

adhesive means, disposed on one surface of said battery, for securingsaid battery, lamp and decorative ornament to a gift package.

3. The portable illumination device as recited in claim 1, wherein saidlamp further comprises a rectangular-shaped collar, disposedperpendicular to said lamp base, for engaging the top surface of .saidbattery when said lamp is slidably disposed in said recess.

1. A portable illumination device, comprising: a flat, dry cell batteryhaving positive and negative electrodes, said positive electrodecomprising an electrically conductive rod disposed in the center of saidbattery and including a recess for receiving a lamp, and said negativeelectrode comprising an electrically conductive metallic casingelectrically insulated from said rod; an electrically conductive,threaded lamp socket, disposed in said recess in said rod, andelectrically insulated from said negative electrode, for receiving alamp; a lamp, disposed in said lamp socket; a decorative ornament,having a centrally disposed aperture provided therein; an annularlocking member, disposed in said aperture in said decorative ornament,for disposal over and engagement with said lamp, for securing saiddecorative ornament thereon so that said lamp extends through saidaperture in said ornament; and adhesive means, disposed on the bottomsurface of said battery, for securing said battery, lamp and decorativeornament on a gift package.
 2. A portable illumination device,comprising: a flat, dry cell battery having positive and negativeelectrodes, said positive electrode comprising a rectangular-shapedelectrically conductive rod disposed in the center of said batteryhaving a truncated oval-shaped recess, and said negative electrodecomprising an electrically conductive metallic casing electricallyinsulated from said rod; a lamp, having a truncated oval-shaped base ofdimensions smaller than said recess, slidably disposed in said recess insaid rod; a decorative ornament, having a centrally disposed aperture,for disposal over said lamp; an annular locking member, disposed in saidaperture in said decorative ornament, for disposal over and engagementwith said lamp, for securing said decorative ornament to said lamp; andadhesive means, disposed on one surface of said battery, for securingsaid battery, lamp and decorative ornament to a gift package.
 3. Theportable illumination device as recited in claim 1, wherein said lampfurther comprises a rectangular-shaped collar, disposed perpendicular tosaid lamp base, for engaging the top surface of said battery when saidlamp is slidably disposed in said recess.